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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — in a road
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — child
  8. ball — a great time
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — humankind
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com